The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1887-01-21
The Story Of a Wreck.
Thrilling and Romantic Account OF
Mutiny at Sea.
BY w. CLARK RUSSELL.
CHAPTER XIL.-CorrrNuEn

maintained her present rate of speed,
we might hope to be in the Gulf of
Mexico in fortnight.
"How do you make that out: 1t
was three weeks yesterday"
land it might have been . month. I"
1 answered
but few days of this kind of sail
ing. let me tell you, Mr.. Stevens, make
a great difference in ones calcula-
TONS
"How fur off is the Gulf of Mexico?"
he asked.
About a couple of thousand miles. ;"
"Oh, a couple of thousand miles.
Well, an Whist reckoning do You get
out o that?''
Suppose YOU put the ships pace
down at thirteen knots an hour?'
IL thought you made it fifteen?" he
.Queried, looking at me suspiciously.
"Yes, but l don't suppose we shall
keep that up. For the sake of argu-
ment | call it thirteen"
+. "Well?" examining his mouth as he
spoke.
stop Bit" / exclaimed; Il want
to show you someteing."
l entered the captains cabin, pro-
cured n chart of the North and South
Atlantic, including the Eastern Ameri-
can coast, and spread it upon the table.
1.-The two thousand mics l have
given you,' said /, would bring you
right off the Mississippi. See here"
He rose and stopped over the chart.
1.-The snort cut to the Gulf"
continued, pointing with my pencil.
sis through the Florida channel, clean
through the Bahamas, where the navi-
CATION is very ugly"
II see"
Il wouldn't trust myself there with
out a pilot on any consideration. and,
of course" said !, looking ct him, 1--WE
don't want pilot"
Il should rayther think we don't"
he answered, scowling at the chart
&c." went on. ITO keep clear of
ships and boats, which are sure to
board us if We get among these islands,
i should steer round the Caribees, do
you seep-wcll away from them. and
up through the Caribbean Sea, into the
Gulf. Do you follow me?"
''Ies, yes-I see"
Now, Mr.. Stevens" said l. very
gravely, 81 want to do my duty to the
crew and put them and myself in the
way of getting ashore and clear off
from all bad consequences"
The scoundrel tried to meet my eyes.
but could not. and he listened to me
gazing the while on the chart
But don't think should succeed
If got among those islands blocking
up the entrance of the Gulf; and as to
the Gulf itself. you may take your oath
it's full of ships, some of which will
pick you up before YOU reach the shore,
while others are pretty certain to come
across the vessel you have abandoned,
and then-lcok cutr'
He swallowed some coffee hastily,
stared at the chart, and said. in a surly
voice: what are You driving at?"
Instead of our abandoning the ship
in the Gulf of Mexico" said, my
opinion is that. in order to assure our
safety. and lessen the chance of dctcc-
ton, we ought to abandon her clear
of these islands. to the nor ard of them,
off this coast here-Florida," pointing
20 the chart.
You thing so?" hs said. doubtfully,
after long pause.
Il am certain of it We ought to
land upon some uninhabited part of
the coast, travel along it northward
until we reach a town, and there rep
resent ourselves As shipwrecked sailors.
Ask Your mates II am not right.
perhaps you are" he replied. still
very dubious, though not speaking
,distrustfuliy.
IF Won select the coast of Florida.
clear of all these islands. and away from
the track of ships, I'll undertake. with
good winds. TO put the ship OFF it in
nine or zen days. But I'll not answer
for our safety if you oblige me to nav
igatc her into the Gulf of Mexico"
He remained silent for some time
and then said:
..It's Fish and two others as chose
New Orleans. I have no fancy for
them half-and-haf places. What l
wanted was to get away into the Gulf
of Guinea, and coast along down to
Congo, or that way. l know the
coast, but l never was in Amerikey,
and" he added, fetching the chart 4
blow with his fist. Course me if I like
the notion Of going there!
alt won't do 10 be shifting about"
said l. frightened that he would 90 and
get the crew to agree with him to run
down to the African coast, which would
seriously prolong the journey. and end.
for all / could tell, in defeating my
scheme; 1--WE shall be Running short of
water and eatabie stores. and then We
shall be in a fix. Make up your mind,
Mr.. Stevens, to the Florida coast; you
can't do better. We shall fetch it in a
few days, and once ashore, we can dis
perse in parties. and each party can
tell their own yarn, if they are asked
questions"
"Well, III talk to Fish and the others
about it, he growled. going back to
his seat. II think you're right about
them West Indie Islands. We must
keep clear O them. Perhaps some of
'em for ard may know what this here
Florida is like. 1 was never ashore
there"
He fell to his breakfast again. and,
finding him SILENT and considering
that enough had been said for the pre-
sent, l left him.
l did not know how well had
argued it until that evening when he
came to me and said the men were all
argeed that it would be better to leaye
the ship off the Florida coast instead
of trying to make New Orleans.
then told him that, with q good
wind. l would give the ship eight or
nine DAYS to do the run in. and recon.
mended him to let the crew know this,
as they must now turn to and arrange,
not only how they should leave the